Scam centers expand to Hteekhee border area
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Htet Nadi/Thant Zin (NP News)-Feb 23
An insider told The Statesman that online scam operations from Kayin State have moved to Hteekhee Township, Tanintharyi Region, on the Myanmar-Thailand border.
It is reported that land is currently being cleared and new buildings are being rapidly constructed around the Hteekhee border area to operate online scam businesses. Some online fraud operations are said to be resuming in areas controlled by groups that have transformed from the BGF into the KNA, while others are reportedly under the protection of certain DKBA factions, such as Saw A-Wan.
“In fact, all the Chinese are stationed in the Payathonzu Township. Although operations have not started yet, sites are also being set up in Payathonzu. Land is also being cleared and new buildings being constructed around Hteekhee. These are the groups that moved from KNU’s KK Park,” the source said.
He also said that the leaders of the online money laundering business are spending around three to four million baht on transportation and accommodation costs for these moves.
“Transporting the scam leaders there costs about three to four million baht. The reason the scam centers are returning to Hteekhee is that the KNU sent people from the Lay Kay Kaw area, where scam centers had been destroyed. A-Wan and his allies are going to build scam centers in Hteekhee and Payathonzu,” he said.
Therefore, he also assessed that online fraud activities could become more widespread in the mountainous areas around Hteekhee and Metta towns.
“So these activities can expand to Hteekhee and Metta. Because it is not easy for the Tatmadaw to enter that area. Metta is just below Hteekhee. It is not far from Dawei. Although it is a town, it is a sub-township level. The KNU dominates the mountains there. They will build more scam centers there. They will definitely do that at the border crossings when the political changes take place. Even Thailand cannot stop them,” he said.
Currently, online scam operations are also reportedly ongoing in Payathonzu town, which is controlled by DKBA commander A-Wan. –